Just My Luck
by EnemyField
Summary: My name is Sakura Haruno and I have the worst luck ever, or so I think. One day, I get rescued by this (really hot) dark-haired onyx-eyed guy. And you can kind of guess what happens from there... So is my luck really that bad? SasuSaku/AU/Complete
1. Chapter 1

**Just My Luck Chapter 1**

"Wake up dearie. Wake up! Wake uuuuup! WAKE UP! WAKE THE F*** UP!" The alarm screamed. I grudgingly got up and put it off. _Why did Ino have to go and buy me such a bitchy clock? _I thought.

It was the first day of university after summer vacation and though I was super excited to see my friends, I was definitely not a morning person. I sighed and picked out my clothes. I wasn't going to get ready myself… wait. I was. Never mind.

I looked at the time. 7:45. "Oh, not bad. I still have some time." I grabbed my knapsack and started dumping a few textbooks in. _Medicinal herbs_,_ Guide to becoming a Doctor, Medicine and Me_. "Sheesh, the only course that requires so many textbooks." I looked at the clock again. 8:05 am.

"Huh!? How did it get so late? I only put like three books in my bag?" I threw on my clothes, brushed my baby pink curls as best as I could (the damn things could never be tamed) and ran for it. "Sakura, what about breakfast?" My mom called after me. "No time!" I screamed. "School starts in 10 minutes!" I bounded out the door and all hell was let lose.

_Turn left here, right there_. I tripped on a lose block and my bag flew off my shoulder. It decided to land right in the middle of a busy junction, textbooks flying everywhere. "WHY ME?" I yelled. Nervously, I looked both left and right. No cars. Phew. I ran out onto the road and grabbed all my books and bag. Suddenly, I saw a huge car hurtling down the road, showing no signs of stopping. _So this is how I die, huh? And all because of three textbooks. _I closed my eyes, expecting to feel the worst sort of pain imaginable.

After one minute there still wasn't any pain. I opened my eyes and found my books and myself in the arms of a complete stranger. A hot stranger. "Are you okay?" He asked, totally nonchalant. I looked at him more closely. He had dark hair and onyx eyes that seemed to have no end. Then it hit me that we were lying on a pavement next to a busy junction and I was running late for school. I sprang up muttering, "T-T-Thanks for s-s-s-saving my life and a-all, but I r-really h-have to g-get to my university." I bowed, grabbed my stuff, and sprinted off thinking, _Damn, I sounded like a hysterical Hinata._

X X X

I made it to class literally fifteen seconds before the bell rang. As soon as I plopped down on my seat next to Ino and caught my breath, Tsunade-sensei barged into the room and hollered, "Okay kids, today's class is going to be intense, so pay attention. We're going to witness a serious surgery." Her eyes twinkled at the last word. "Grab your notebooks and lets go to Konoha Hospital!" I sighed. I just sat down and we had to leave again!?

Ino, seeing my disappointment, grabbed my bookbag. "What happened? You look horrible! You're covered in sweat, your hair, well it's the same as usual, but that's beside the point… What happened to you, Sakura?" I looked at her. "Long story," I croaked. "Well I'm all ears," she bubbled. I guess I had no choice but to tell her.

"I ran late to school because of three textbooks and I tripped on a rock and my books flew onto the middle of the road so I ran to get them but nearly got run over but this really hot guy with onyx eyes saved me and I looked like a total freak." I inhaled. Ino sweatdropped. "Quite a morning." Suddenly, a smile appeared on her face. Anyways, tell me more about this hot guy of yours."

Two pieces of chalk flew out from nowhere and hit both of us square in the foreheads. "Pay attention ladies!" Tsunade-sensei chided. "There's going to be a test on this." "H-Hai Tsunade-sensei-sama!" We both replied, immediately taking out our books.

X X X

"Boy, medicine sure was tiring," Ino sighed after class. "I mean a surgery on the first day back? It doesn't feel like we've had a vacation at all." I smiled. "Did you meet the other girls yet?" I asked. Ino nodded. "Tenten grew an inch, Hinata's got a new hairstyle, and Temari's here as a transfer student! Isn't that cool?" My eyes widened. "How come?" Ino shrugged. "Probably one of those Konoha-Suna alliance things. Now come on, let's go look for the others."

We made our way down the hall into the courtyard. Like high school, Konoha University had its famous hangout spots. The Courtyard was the most popular and it was where my friends had decided to meet every break, so we wouldn't waste time looking for each other. Hinata and Tenten were already there, sitting underneath a large tree. Tenten was showing Hinata one of her new weapons. "It's called a swiss army knife. It cost a lot, but that's because it was imported." "T-T-That's n-n-n-nice Tenten." Hinata stuttered.

"Hey guys!" I exclaimed. "Hinata, your hair really grew!" Her rich violet locks flowed halfway down her back. "You really have to tell me how to tame my hair. It looks like a rat's nest." "N-no, Sakura, I-I think your h-h-hair is l-lovely!" Hinata replied. "Nice to see you too, Sakura." Tenten retorted. I chuckled. "I was just getting to you Tenten. Nice weapon you have there." Tenten grinned. "Thanks. All the better to seduce Neji with." We all burst out laughing. Tenten had the hots for Neji forever. I had a feeling that he liked her too–he did turn red whenever she was around–but was just too shy to admit it.

"Hey guys!" Temari called, walking to our spot. "This is a neat spot you have here." Ino nodded. "It's been ours since freshman year. Look, we've carved our names onto the tree." Temari chuckled. "I wish we had trees like this in Suna."

"TEME! THAT REALLY HURT." Everyone sighed. "Naruto," we chimed at the same time. He got hit in the face by a volleyball, thrown by none other than Kiba. "Take this!" Naruto threw the ball with all the strength he had, only to have it slam right in Hinata's face. "Where'd it go?" He asked, turning a full 360 degrees. When he saw Hinata with a red imprint on her face and a volleyball not too far away, he screamed, "HINATA-CHAN! It was an accident! Are you alright!?" If it was even possible, her face turned redder. "I-I-I'm o-o-o-okay N-Naruto-k-kun." She replied. Then her nose started bleeding. "Naruto, you idiot! Look what you've done!" Ino yelled. Naruto ran, picked up Hinata and said, "Don't worry Hina-chan! I'll take you to the nurse!" And ran off with her.

X X X

The next class was much more fun than Medicine. Visual arts. "Okay kids," Kakashi-sensei drawled. "Your job is to recreate your favorite food. Use all the materials you need." He flipped open the latest copy of Icha Icha Paradise and started reading. "I can understand why he decided to teach this course," Tenten whispered. "The dude has to do nothing but assign projects with long deadlines. Look at him reading that book." I started chuckling. "That's so like Kakashi-sensei."

Before I knew it, lunch rolled around the corner. Tenten and I walked into the already-cramped cafeteria. "Do you think the others are here yet?" I yelled. "Yeah! It does smell!" Tenten screamed back. I sighed. No one could hear each other in this madness. "I see them!" Tenten bellowed. We managed to fight our way to the tiny table reserved by Ino, Temari, and Hinata, who was holding a bloody rag to her nose. "Hey guys," I yelled. "I'm getting lunch." I dropped my knapsack off and went to the anarchic lunch line.

Tolerating all the impatient pushing, I picked up a plate of lasagna and some milk and made my way to the cashier. Suddenly, I was pushed from behind and I went flying right across the lunch line. The packet of milk burst on my and my arms felt the floor. I looked up and saw with horror that my plate of lasagna was on someone's shirt. _Wait, didn't I see a shirt like this this morning? _A pair of onyx eyes met mine and the hot guy from this morning said, "Hello again."


	2. Chapter 2

**Just My Luck Chapter 2**

I looked up and saw with horror that my plate of lasagna was on someone's shirt. _Wait, didn't I see a shirt like this this morning? _A pair of onyx eyes met mine and the hot guy from this morning said, "Hello again." I immediately got up off the floor. "Oh my gosh, I am so very sorry." I grabbed a handful of tissues and gave them to him. "Can I help you in any way?" Inside, I was screaming, running around in circles. _Just my luck! A second time!? Why me?_

The guy just smirked. "We seem to run into each other quite often." I chuckled, but uneasily. "I really am sorry. Let me make it up to you! I'll do anything!" He examined me and I suddenly became conscious of the fact that I was dripping with milk. "What's your name," he asked, totally nonchalant. "Haruno Sakura." I replied. "Sakura, eh?" he whispered, coming closer. "That's an interesting name." He came so close that our noses were nearly touching. This guy, he was too intimidating (even if he was really hot). What was he thinking? "Forgive me!" I cried, backing away. "I'll make it up some other time!" And then I ran for it.

X X X

"Sakura! What happened to you?" Ino shrieked. "It really isn't your day, is it?" Hinata, being the one who was always prepared, pulled out a pack of tissues. "H-H-Here S-Sakura." Before I could take the tissues, Ino snatched them from Hinata's hands and started wiping furiously. "Cut it out Ino, that hurts!" She stopped. "Well spill the beans." And so I told them the whole story, straight from the beginning.

"Eh? He did that?" Tenten yelled, getting up. "Where is that bastard! Let me give him a piece of my mind!" Hinata pulled her down. "N-No Tenten he saved her life! Sakura, you said onyx eyes, correct?" I nodded and said, "Those eyes, I don't think I've ever seen them before." Temari banged the table with her hand. She was sitting and listening to the whole thing so silently that I forgot that she was even there. "It's obvious. He's an Uchiha. Sounds like it's Uchiha Sasuke from what you've said. He's a notorious playboy. Don't get tangled up in his mess, Sakura. Be careful" She sounded so serious that I just had to say, "H-H-Hai."

X X X

At home, I lay down in bed. "Sasuke," I whispered. What was he thinking? I got up and logged onto my computer. U-C-H-I-H-A, I typed and clicked ENTER. I browsed through a bunch of sources and found one that said, "Famous Uchiha Clan Wealthiest in the Entire Continent." So he was a rich kid. I clicked on another one. "The Uchiha Clan – All About Them." I read through the article and shut down my computer.

The Uchiha Clan was apparently a wealthy family that owned a lot of things: a five-star hotel chain, automobiles, and other fancy stuff. But they had a dark history too. The heir to the Clan, Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's older brother, left the family against his father's will to join a heavy metal band called "Akatsuki." He was supposed to be one of the most talented Uchihas of all. So Sasuke is the new heir, but according to the source, he was living in his brother's shadow.

I yawned and looked at the time. 10:24 pm. Luckily I didn't have class until 9:55 the next day. Plenty of time to do some homework. I pulled out my many medicine textbooks and started to do some research for a 2,000-word paper. It was going to be a long night.

X X X

"Wake up dearie. Wake up! Wake uuuuup! WAKE UP! WAKE TH–" I smashed the alarm off before it could become a total bitch. "Damn thing," I muttered, closing my eyes and going back to sleep.

Suddenly, I woke up with a start and saw the time. 9:40am. "SHIT!" I yelled. "How do I manage to lose so much time?" I threw a bunch of books into my bag (thank God there was no Medicine today) and ran for it. "No breakfast, Sakura?" My mom called. "I'm late!" I yelled back. I was already halfway through the backyard. _Awesome, I'm going to make it in time today._ My mom looked out the window. "At least wear something other than your night clothes, Sakura!" I froze. And looked down. Crushed grey tank top and pink shorts. _Should I just run to school or should I change? _I jogged on the spot, urging myself to think.

_Like hell I'm going to be seen in these! _I thought, running back upstairs. It was a good thing I had a long bath yesterday with my mom's fancy bath salts. I still reeked of perfume. I picked out a simple floral dress. _Easy to put on_. I thought. I threw it on and ran out, not bothering about my hair. The damn thing was too hard to control anyways.

I checked my watch. 9:50am. I had five minutes, I could do this. I sped down the road and leapt over the block that I tripped on yesterday. I crossed the road with the skill of a shinobi and ran into the university. I raced up the stairs, dodging people on the way. I was almost to my class. _Just three more doors, two more, almost there. _And then I tripped on a banana peel and my books and I fell into the classroom, right in front of the entire class. "Almost, Sakura." Anko-sensei said, marching in. The entire class erupted with laughter. "Just my luck," I muttered.

"Why don't you go and sit next to Sasuke-kun over there," Anko-sensei chirped. With (a pleasant) horror, I saw that the only seat available was next to Sasuke. "First-name alphabetical seating, babe!" Anko-sensei sang, slapping my back. "Now go on girl, you're shortening business class!" I marched up to my seat, feeling everyone's stares, including Sasuke's, on me. I slipped in next to him. "Always the klutz, eh?" He said. I nodded, taking out my books, taking furious notes on the business stuff Anko-sensei was yammering about. _I am going to heed Temari's warning. Don't get tangled up in his mess. _

"About what you said about making it up to me," Sasuke began. "I know what you can do." I looked at him. Shit. I forgot about that. "Oh, what?" I said. "They say that you're one of Tsunade's best students." He smirked. "You have to help me." I looked at him with shock. "You want me to t-t-tutor you? No way!" I turned back to furiously taking notes. Sasuke knelt in so close, I could feel him breathing. "Remember what you said," he whispered. "That you'd do anything." Again with the same intimidation. "Please." He added. I turned and looked him in the eye, about to reject him flat out. But those eyes with no end, cut my words short. I suddenly remembered that article about Sasuke living in his brother's shadow. A wave of pity washed over me. _Damn myself. _"Tell me when and where." I said.

Sasuke's whole face brightened up, to my surprise. "Thank you," he said, smiling for the first time. And it wasn't a fake smile like the ones Sai, the visual arts genius, offered; it was a genuine warm smile. I mentally backed away. He looked…handsome. _Extreme hotness alert!_ I screamed inside. "D-d-d-don't mention it." I sputtered out.

The entire class, my mind was on what just happened. "Just my luck. I'm so going to get tangled up in his mess." Thankfully, the bell rang. "See you around," Sasuke said, placing a piece of paper on my notes. I picked it up and scanned it. "LIBRARY, BACK TABLE, AFTER SCHOOL. DON'T BE LATE." It said. I sighed.

X X X

"Sakura!" Ino shrieked. "Reunited at last!" She gave me a hug. "Hi Ino. How's it going?" She pulled away. "Your face is very red. What happened?" Tenten, Hinata, and Temari gathered closer with expectant faces. After some hesitation, I told them. "Eh?" Ino screamed. "A date?" I put a hand over her mouth. "Shh! It's not a date! I'm just tutoring him! Besides, I owe him." "Girl, it might as well be a date. And there's no way in hell you're going to go looking like that." Tenten piped up. Everyone started nodding. "Did you even comb your hair?" Temari asked. "No…" I said. Ino clapped her hands together. "Girls, we're going to give her a makeover." Hinata started rummaging through her bag. "I have some hair treatment things in here!" She was so excited that she forgot all about stuttering.

"Oh gosh," I said. This was going to take a while.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**Well that's the second chapter! I'm so glad I was able to post immediately! :P Uh…what else can I say? Oh yeah! My friend showed me how to make Itachi: -/_\- **

**Even though it looks kind of gloomy, it is kind of cute. **

**Please let me know what you think of the story so far. I'd really like to know your opinions! See you next chapter! XD**

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto **


	3. Chapter 3

**Just My Luck Chapter 3**

"Guys, do you really think this is a good idea?" I asked nervously. "Stop moving Sakura, it's hard to get this stuff on," Ino grumbled, putting mascara on my eyelashes. "The idea is to make it look like you've got nothing on, but still look pretty. That way people won't think you're a try-hard," she added. I sighed and endured in silence.

X X X

The rest of the day, I sat in anticipation. What was I going to do? I had never tutored anyone before, much less a hot guy. What if I screwed up? And why did Sasuke need my help anyways? Wasn't he supposed to be an Uchiha? The bell rang, disturbing my thoughts. It was time.

I nervously walked down the hallway into the foyer and turned right, towards the library. My heart started beating faster. I walked straight until I reached the back table. Sasuke was there all right, but his head was resting on his arms (which were sprawled out) on the table. My heart started pounding extremely hard; I was surprised no one could hear it. "U-u-um, U-U-Uchiha-san?" He didn't stir. I sat down, unsure of what else to do. His breathing was deep and even; he was sound asleep. _DAMN! How do I wake him up?_

"Uchiha-san?" I said, slightly louder. No movement. I touched his arm. "Uchiha-san? Are you okay?" Suddenly, his free hand grabbed mine. Though it shocked me and sent chills down my spine, I was surprised by how warm it was. But Sasuke was still fast asleep. I wondered how long he would stay like that, asleep and clutching onto my hand. Something deep inside of me wanted it to stay that way for a while, but Temari's words rang clear in my head: _Don't get tangled up in his mess. _

Feeling my cheeks flame, I pulled my hand free from his grip and banged my books on the table. "Well then," I said in a loud voice. "What shall we do first?"

Sasuke woke up with a start. His surprised face turned grave and serious. "Is it time already?" he asked. "Yup." I said, feigning ignorance on the fact that I gave him a rude awakening. "So tell me," I continued. "If you're having trouble, why are you taking Medicine?" If it was even possible, Sasuke's face became darker. "I have to. It was my father's wish." Oh, right. Sasuke was part of a wealthy clan. It was only normal that he listened to his parents.

"I see." I said. I pulled out a packet that Tsunade-sensei gave me the first time I took Medicine. It was to see how much her class already knew. I pushed it towards him. "It's to see how far you are and what you're having trouble with," I explained. Sasuke took the packet and started working on it.

I snuck a glance at him and was overcome by how handsome he looked, even while studying. _Jeez, no wonder he's a playboy. This guy is dangerous! _I looked away. "I-I-I have to use the restroom," I declared. "K-keep working on the packet!" I rose from my seat and tried to walk as normally as possible. But I banged into the table in front. _Damn it_. I raced out of the library and into the nearest bathroom. I ran to the sinks and splashed water on my face. Looking up at the mirror, I saw a red face. "What's happening to me?" I whispered. "Who am I turning into?"

X X X

Back in the library, Sasuke handed me the finished packet. I took it and skimmed through it. "All your answers are correct!" I exclaimed. Surprised, I looked at Sasuke. "Guess you don't need me, then!" I packed my books and was about to leave when Sasuke grabbed my arm. The same chill ran down my spine. "Wait." He murmured. "I can do the stuff, but I can't enjoy it. Only you can help me."

"What do you mean?"

"I've seen you before, talking to Tsunade after class. You had something in your eyes, a passion for learning that I've never seen before, not in myself nor anyone else. Maybe that can help me overcome–" He suddenly stopped talking.

For a split second, while he spoke, I swear I saw a spark in his eyes, a crack in the cool, nonchalant exterior he created around himself. But it faded as soon as it appeared.

I realized that Sasuke was still holding onto my arm. He realized it too, and removed his hand slowly. The warmth still lingered. "Okay Uchiha-san, I'll help you. Tell me what you want me to do." He smirked triumphantly.

Suddenly, the bell rang. "OKAY KIDS, THE LIBRARY IS CLOSED, GET OUT!" Iruka-sensei bellowed into a megaphone. "Well that's time," Sasuke said. "Come here again tomorrow, same time. Don't be late." I smiled, even though he said the last bit menacingly. "Don't fall asleep," I replied.

X X X

As soon as I walked out of the library, I was ambushed by Tenten and Ino. "How'd it go?" Ino asked. "Spill! Spill! We're dying to know!" Tenten added. 'Where are Hinata and Temari?" I asked. "Over here!" Temari called, as she and Hinata made their way over with drinks. "Y-y-you m-must be thirsty Sakura," Hinata bubbled, handing me my favorite drink: green tea. "Thanks!  
I said, taking a tiny sip. Then I took a huge gulp. I didn't realize how thirsty I was. After I put the cup down, Ino whined, "Tell uuuuuuuus!" Everyone stared at me expectantly. I sighed and told them.

All the girls, with the exception of Hinata, screamed. "YOU AND SASUKE!" Ino shrieked. "IT'S TOTALLY ROMANTIC!" "Shhh!" I whispered. "If things keep going well, you might hook up!" Temari chattered. I looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "Didn't you tell me to stay away from him?" I asked. "Forget that, man!" She replied. We all started giggling. "But let's not get too ahead of ourselves," I said, suddenly becoming serious. "I'm just his tutor, nothing more."

"That's what they all say," Tenten muttered. "Anyways, let's go home. I have a lot of homework to do." We all groaned. "Don't remind me Tenten," Temari groaned. "All that Political Science rubbish I have to do, ugh!" We all erupted in laughter again. "Bye guys," I said. "I'll try my best to come to school early tomorrow!" And we parted.

X X X

The next day, I woke up bright and early, before my alarm even screamed. My knapsack was all packed and my clothes were selected, both as of last night. I got ready and scraped my hair back into a ponytail. _Though it will probably all come out by the end of the day. _ I went downstairs and stuffed myself on pancakes, much to my mom's surprise and delight. "It's great that you can finally eat breakfast today, Sakura. You should do this more often!"

After eating, I walked out the backyard and calmly made my way to school. When I arrived, it was only 8:00 am. _Woohoo! World record!_ I thought to myself. "EH? SAKURA?" Tenten yelled. She and Hinata were both sitting underneath the same tree. "Hey guys!" I yelled, running towards them. "Hinata, how is your nose? I'm sorry I forgot to ask yesterday!" I said, suddenly remembering. "I-i-it's much better, thank you. Naruto-kun took good care of me." I laughed. Hinata had a crush on Naruto forever. "That's good, because if he didn't, I'd beat the crap out of him!" "Yeah yeah, enough with that! What are you doing here so early?" Tenten asked suspiciously. I shrugged. "I felt all energized today."

"I bet it's because you get to see Sasuke again today."

"Tenten! I'm just his tutor!"

"Sure."

"Come on!"

X X X

The day flew by very quickly. As the bell rang for the end of the day, all the anticipation I forgot about appeared again. _I have to see Sasuke again. _I thought. _And just when I thought that I got used to him. _

I slowly made my way to the library. I walked down the stairs to the first floor and was about to turn into the library, when three girls cornered me. One of them was Karin, leader of the cheerleading club. There was also a rumor going around that she had a talent for making perfumes and being over-obsessed with things she attached herself to. I also heard that she would do anything to get what she wanted, even if it meant hurting someone else. "Can I help you?" I asked, nervously. "Come with us," Karin said, if somewhat forcefully. Before I could say anything, I was being led into a deserted hallway.

Suddenly, I was thrown against a wall. "What do you think you're doing around my Sasuke?" Karin shrieked. "He's _mine_! Paws off!" I looked at her uncertainly. "You misunderstand. I'm just his–" "DON'T LIE TO ME!" Karin yelled, punching me in the face. "I know you're out to get him like the slut you are!" I looked at her, shocked. So stuff like this actually happened to people in real life. "Listen here," I said, kind of pissed. "This isn't some shoujo manga. If you love your Sasuke so much, why don't you just go and tell him instead of using underhand means?" Karin punched me in the face again, and in the stomach for good measure. "Don't mock me," she said, totally calm. "If you come near him again, you'll get it," she whispered, taking out an exacto-knife, making it trace along my cheek. " The trio started to walk away. "No." I said. They all stopped and turned around. "There is no way in hell I'm listening to some girl to scared to fight fair." I looked Karin straight in the eye. "I will not leave _your_ Sasuke alone."

Karin grabbed my hair and pulled me close. "You just crossed the line, bitch!" She yelled in my face. She and her two sidekicks dropped me to the ground and started punching and kicking me. Blood trickled down my chin from the corners of my mouth. Bruises appeared on my arms and legs. But they were not done yet. Karin took out some duct tape and taped my mouth shut, blood and all. Her two sidekicks tied up my arms and legs and they threw me into a janitor's closet and locked it.

Bleeding, brusied, and claustrophobic, I was trapped in the darkness while Sasuke waited for me in the library. Just my luck.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**Finally, chapter 3 is out! :D I promise that with the nest chapter, all the action begins**** insert creepy smile here. Till then, please review! I'd love to see what you think! Thanks to glove, mk, and TDI-Ryro-Eclares for the reviews. You guys really made my day. :D See you in the next chapter! :D**

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto **


	4. Chapter 4

**Just My Luck Chapter 4**

Karin grabbed my hair and pulled me close. "You just crossed the line, bitch!" She yelled in my face. She and her two sidekicks dropped me to the ground and started punching and kicking me. Blood trickled down my chin from the corners of my mouth. Bruises appeared on my arms and legs. But they were not done yet. Karin took out some duct tape and taped my mouth shut, blood and all. Her two sidekicks tied up my arms and legs and they threw me into a janitor's closet and locked it.

_Damn! I'm claustrophobic!_ I thought, or scream-thought. The walls, I was trapped by all four of them, and they were getting closer to my body. Closer, closer, closer. They were going to crush me in and I would die an idiotic death in a janitor's closet. "I don't want to die!" I screamed. Only, the duct tape muffled me.

My pulse started quickening and I broke into a sweat. "Hmmmp!" I screamed. "Hmmmmp!" I threw my body at the door, trying to break it down. After five minutes, I stopped, panting. There was no way anyone was going to find me.

I sat for goodness knows how long, resigned to my fate. I did what all people were supposed to do in order to calm themselves down: think. I thought about how I used to get annoyed by my mom, but now I'd probably never see her again. I thought about my friends; Ino, Hinata, Tenten, Temari and how we all just saw each other a few hours ago. How life can change in a matter of minutes….

"What are you thinking, Sakura? You're just locked in a closet! You're not going to freaking die!" Something inside me yelled at me. It was Inner Sakura. _You're back._ I thought. "Naturally," she said matter-of-factly. "I only come when you need me the most."

_Well you're too late. You know I'm claustrophobic._

"Nonsense! It's never too late!"

_What about Sasuke? I was supposed to teach him how to love learning._

"Oh, that. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll understand. I mean there's plenty of evidence."

I looked down at the cuts and bruises I received from Karin and her Karinettes. "Are you really going to let yourself by defeated by some over reactive bitch, Sakura? You can't 'die' because of her." For once, Inner Sakura had some sense in her words. "HUH!? I always make sense!" Right, she shared my thoughts. But still, I couldn't let some possessive bitch take me down! I mean, just because I told the truth, she freaking injured me! "What a betch," Inner Sakura chirped, imitating Karin's valley girl accent. "Now get out of here!"

I threw myself at the door with all the force I had, and guess what? It actually broke down. "Don't doubt my strength," Inner Sakura chimed. "Now how are you going to get home?" Inner Sakura asked. Right. Not only was my mouth closed, but my hands and feet were tied. "I suppose you could go like a worm…" _Are you kidding me? It's so dark outside. And I have to cross the street! _"Oh yeah."

"Sakura?" A manly voice asked. I looked up into a pair of onyx eyes. _Sasuke. _He made me sit up and gently pulled the duct tape off my mouth. Suddenly, he grabbed my shoulders. "Who did this to you?" he asked. But he wasn't looking for an answer. "You're bruised and cut. They even tied you up." He undid the ropes on my hands and feet. "You're free now." He said. "How long were you in there?" I cleared my throat. "S-s-since class ended." My voice was raw. I cleared my thorat again. "Four hours." He muttered.

Suddenly, he picked me up, bridal style. "Come with me." "U-Uchiha-san, I can walk by myself!" I argued. I could feel al the blood rush up to my face. "Really, Uchiha-san!" I insisted. He threw me into the shotgun seat in his (expensive-looking) car and started it up. "We're going to my house. Kaa-san will treat your wounds and you can tutor me." He looked at me. "You're free, right?" "Yeah, yeah." _Gosh, he looks like Yamato-taicho when he's scary._

The stereo system switched on as Sasuke pulled out of Konoha University. Soft rock filled up the entire car. "This is nice music," I said, to break the silence. Suddenly, the soft rock turned to heavy metal as the singer started screaming, giving me a huge heart attack. "Lord in heaven!" I screamed. Sasuke glanced at me and started chuckling. "Still think it's nice music?" I shook my head furiously. "I don't like heavy metal. It's rough, grinding, and there's too much screamo."

Sasuke smirked. "You ignorant girl." He said. "Well excuse me!" I retorted. We drove in silence for a while, with the exception of the heavy metal blasting in the background. "You know," Sasuke said, breaking the silence. "There's a reason heavy metal sounds so angry. It's not for the devil or anything idiotic like that. Sometimes in a person's life, they feel like screaming their lungs out, but they can't. So they suffer in silence. But that's why heavy metal was born. So people could voice their anger, fears, basically their despair. And if you don't like the sound, the lyrics are beautiful. Painfully beautiful."

"Painfully beautiful," I repeated. Was Sasuke thinking about his brother? "Umm… Uchiha-kun–" "Sasuke is fine." "Okay. Sasuke-kun, then. Why exactly do you want to love to learn exactly?" I stole a glance at him and saw that his jaw had tightened. "If you don't want to talk about it, it's okay!" I immediately added. He looked at me, grateful that I understood.

"We're here," he said, pulling into a huge mansion. So huge, in fact, that I couldn't help but say, "Damn! You live here? This place is huge! And I thought Hinata's house was gigantic!" He chuckled. "Sasuke! You're back!" A woman exclaimed, running towards us. She had the same onyx eyes as Sasuke, and the same hair color as well. Okay, she looked exactly like him. She was obviously his– "Kaa-san," Sasuke said. "This is Sakura." He gestured towards me. Sasuke's mother looked at me for the first time. "Goodness! You're all battered and bruised! Come in! We must treat you immediately!" She looked at Sasuke expectantly. "Well carry her in! She's in no condition to walk by herself!"

"Uchiha-sama, it was kind of you to offer but I can walk by myself!" I insisted. "Nonsense child!" She said. "Sasuke, carry her in or I'll tan your hide!" Then she walked inside. "Guess I have no choice," Sasuke smirked, picking me up again. Once again, the blood rushed to my face. "Sorry for the trouble," I muttered.

As Sasuke carried me inside, we were greeted by a flurry of maids, uniform and everything, who bowed and said, "Welcome home young master." Ha! _This is just like a shoujo manga_, I thought. "Sasuke, Sakura, come this way!" Uchiha-sama called. She led us into a huge bathroom that would have fit half my house in, no problem. Sasuke set me down on a couch (yes, there was a full set of furniture in this bathroom) and said, "Kaa-san, I'm going to take a shower. Bring her to my room once you're done." "Okay dear," Uchiha-sama replied.

Then she turned to me. "I'm glad Sasuke brought you here. He almost never brings any friends home." I smiled and said, "Is that so? He seems to be quite popular at the university." Uchiha-sama sighed in relief. "I'm glad to hear that. I was starting to worry that he became a lonely fellow, ever since his older brother left. The two of them were very close. Itachi would teach Sasuke the guitar and everything… " She sighed again, but more somberly. "I wish Itachi could come back. But you know how men are, too much pride. Both him and his father."

Suddenly, she grabbed my shoulders. "Promise me that you'll take care of Sasuke. He needs a comforting hand, that boy." I nodded. "Yes ma'am! You have my word!" Uchiha-sama smiled, a beautiful warm smile. Now let's get you all fixed up."

X X X

I walked out of the bathroom feeling like a flower garden ambushed me. Uchiha-sama insisted I take a bath and even gave me one of her childhood dresses to wear. "Your clothes are all torn up. Into the shredder they go!" And that was the last I saw of my clothes.

"Sakura-sama!" One of the maids called. "I jumped at hearing 'sama'. "C-c-call me Sakura! Just Sakura is fine!" I said to the maid, turning red. "Hai, Sakura-sama. Sasuke-sama is waiting for you in the study. I shall take you there."

A long hallway, three staircases, and five doors later, I was outside Sasuke's study. I knocked. "S-Sasuke-kun?" I heard a muffled bang, then a "Come in." I opened the door (which had to be the fanciest door I had ever seen in my life) and entered the study. Rows and rows of bookshelves from floor to ceiling covered the walls. Sasuke was sitting at a table in the center of the room with all his books scattered around.

"Sit," he commanded, patting a chair right next to him. I sat. "Teach," he commanded. "What is this, a doggy training session?" Inner Sakura asked. _Shut up. _I looked at the books. I picked one up, flipped through it, and closed it.

"Well?" Sasuke asked. "Tell me how I can love to learn? What do I have to do?" I looked through the other books. "Tell me how I can get that fire in my eyes!" He grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "I have to know!" He yelled. Shaken, I said, "Sasuke-kun, there is no trick to it. You either love learning or you hate it. If you think that forming a bond is all just something you can read in a book and memorize it, you can't love learning."

There was silence for a while. _Damn. Did I say too much?_ But then I noticed that Sasuke was trembling. "Damn it," he whispered. "Sasuke–" "DAMN IT!" He yelled, throwing the books off the table. "DAMN IT!" Then he got up and threw his chair. "IS THAT ALL I CAN DO? MEMORIZE!? ITACHI! WHAT CURSE HAVE YOU PUT ON ME! ARE YOU MOCKING ME, SAYING THAT I'M NOT AS GOOD AS YOU?" He seemed to have forgotten that I was in the room. He picked up a book, ripped it, and threw it back on the ground.

Suddenly, I was overcome with anger. "SASUKE!" I yelled, forgetting all about respect and composure. "STOP BLAMING YOUR BROTHER FOR ANY OBSTACLES IN YOUR PATH! YOU CAN'T EXPECT TO MASTER ANYTHING IN 10 MINUTES! EVEN KONOHA WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY!" I stopped to take a breath. Sasuke was shocked, stunned that I dare speak against him. But I was too angry to stop. "In order to do something, you have to work hard, and you can't just do it for someone else! THE REASON YOU CAN'T LEARN IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE WRONG PURPOSE IN MIND! Don't decide to love learning to impress your family or surpass your brother, DO IT FOR YOURSELF, DAMMIT! SELF-RESPECT IS WHAT YOU NEED!" I was shaking with rage. But suddenly, that rage turned to fear. Sasuke's face was dark and he looked like a serial killer.

He marched up to me and raised his hand, looking deadly dangerous. "You've done it now, Sakura." Inner Sakura screamed. _Damn it. He's going to hit me. I shouldn't have mentioned his brother. Just my luck for speaking without thinking. _"S-S-Sasuke-kun," I began. "There's no point, Sakura," he whispered. Then he kissed me.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**HI guys! Happy New Year! So I finally got to the action, eh (well, it's all the way at the end of the story, but still)? What do you guys think about it? Let me know! Oh yeah, I was thinking of giving Sasuke a dog (you'll see why later), but I can't think of any good dog names… Any ideas? :P **

**Special thanks to anthologylover for reviewing! Your review really made me laugh **

**See you all in the next chapter! ;)**

**-Enemyfield **

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto **


	5. Chapter 5

**Just My Luck Chapter 5**

He marched up to me and raised his hand, looking deadly dangerous. "You've done it now, Sakura." Inner Sakura screamed. _Damn it. He's going to hit me. I shouldn't have mentioned his brother. Just my luck for speaking without thinking. _"S-S-Sasuke-kun," I began. "There's no point, Sakura," he whispered. Then he kissed me.

Though Sasuke was on a rampage just seconds ago, the kiss was surprisingly soft and gentle. My whole body felt numb, as if an electrical current was passing through me. But it only lasted five seconds.

"S-S-S-S-Sasuke-kun!" I gasped. "Sakura," he murmured. "No one has yelled at me like that before. _No one_." I gulped. Was that a dangerous edge to his voice I heard? "I–" I began, but Sasuke cut me off. "I saw the fire in your eyes, the fire which I need in mine. You asked me why before. I'll tell you."

Trembling, I moved away from him and picked up the books on the floor. Sasuke sounded like a murderer moving in towards his prey. I put the books back on the table just as Sasuke spoke. "My _brother_, if that's even what he is, told me that I lacked fire, that I was nothing but a soulless vessel that did what I was told to do. I lacked depth, he said taunting me. I lacked spirit." He looked at me, ferociously. "HOW DO YOU DO IT?" He yelled, throwing the same books that I just picked up. "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SURPASS ITACHI?"

This time, it was my turn. I ran up to Sasuke, slapped him, and hugged him. "Forget about what your brother said," I whispered. "If you're going to turn a clear sky into a raging storm just because of one cloud, then what will happen to the sky, Sasuke-kun?" I looked up at him and smiled. "Sasuke-kun, to surpass your brother, you have to forget what he said. You have to face him and smile."

Sasuke was shocked. He wasn't expecting a hug. Then he started trembling, but not with rage. "He's scared," Inner Sakura chimed. "I can't forget. I just can't, Sakura. Itachi, he betrayed my father and he betrayed me." I led Sasuke to a chair and made him sit down. "Stay here. I'll be back."

I ran out of the study and asked the nearest maid where the kitchen was. Following her directions, I ran to the kitchen, took out a carton of milk from the fridge and asked the cook, I mean chef, to heat it. Then I took out a glass and poured the heated milk in. I found some honey in a shelf, so I grabbed it and put a huge dollop into the milk. "Oh, your dad's famous milk and honey remedy, eh?" Inner Sakura cackled. "I remember whenever you threw a tantrum, he would make it for you and you'd be knocked straight out." I thanked the people in the kitchen, who looked at me with awe, and then I ran (as fast as I could without spilling the milk) back to the study.

"Here," I declared, handing the milk to Sasuke. "What's this?" He sneered. "Shut up and drink it. It's to make you feel better." I retorted. After staring at it skeptically for a few minutes, Sasuke drank it. "You know what," he said, his voice becoming a little heavy. "I actually do feel better." I smiled. "I can see why you're Tsunade's best student." He muttered drowsily. I helped him up. "Which way is your room Sasuke?" "Two doors down." I opened the door and led him down the hallway. Once inside Sasuke's room, I lay him down on the bed.

"You must think I'm pathetic," he said, surprising me. "I mean, a girl who I've barely known for a week tucking a full grown man like me into bed." I turned to Sasuke. "Not at all. Think of it as payback for saving my life. Now we're even." Sasuke smirked. "Whatever." And closed his eyes. Before I left, he said, "Sakura, don't you dare tell anyone about what happened today."

X X X

I logged onto my computer and typed "AKATSUKI" into the search engine. "AKATSUKI'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE" was the first thing to catch my eye. I clicked on it. "TOUR DATES AND VENUES" was clicked next. I scrolled through the dates and found one that made me smile and made Inner Sakura say, "Oh boy." Akatsuki was coming to Konoha in three days and their venue was none other than Konoha University_. How convenient._

I shut down my computer and went to bed. For hours I lay awake, thinking about what happened today. Sasuke taking me to his house, him kissing me (even though it was probably to shut me up), him acting like an insecure kid. The whole thing almost made me scream.

Suddenly, his words from the drive came back to me. _"Sometimes in a person's life, they feel like screaming their lungs out, but they can't. So they suffer in silence. But that's why heavy metal was born. So people could voice their anger, fears, basically their despair. And if you don't like the sound, the lyrics are beautiful. Painfully beautiful."_

I wondered what Sasuke meant when he was saying this, and whether his brother was connected to it in any way. Did Itachi really make him suffer that much? "But if Itachi is Sasuke's older brother, wouldn't he just want the best for Sasuke?" I thought aloud.

Then it hit me. Akatsuki was a heavy metal band. Maybe there was more to this story than just Sasuke's point of view. Maybe he had a reason for talking to Sasuke like that. Maybe Itachi cared for Sasuke all along.

X X X

Thank goodness that today was my day off. As I walked downstairs, pajamas and all, I saw my dad sitting at the breakfast table, newspaper at hand. As I sat down, he said, "Morning Sakura." "Hey dad," I replied groggily. "Don't you have work?" He shook his head. "Public holiday." I nodded. I poured some orange juice into my glass. "Say Sakura," my dad began. "Do you know what my job is?" I nodded. "Yup. You work for an agency that specializes in talent, right?" He nodded. "Except I was given a promotion. I'm now a manager." I looked at my dad. "Wow! That's great!" I pat him on the back. He chuckled.

"This is where you come in Sakura." I stopped what I was doing. _Uh-oh. _"I have to pick the band up in a couple of days, but I won't be able to make it. Would you do it for me?" Well, it was the weekend. "Sure, pops. What's the band's name?" My dad grinned. "Akatsuki."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**Well, that's the fifth chapter! :D I'm sorry it's so short, though. :P Well, how have your weeks been? I just lazed around, read manga, drew manga, and watched Naruto. I'm doing as much fun stuff as possible before my vacation ends and the second semester begins full swing. I swear, high school has no mercy. **** Please review and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**


	6. Chapter 6

**Just My Luck Chapter 6**

"This is where you come in Sakura." I stopped what I was doing. _Uh-oh. _"I have to pick the band up in a couple of days, but I won't be able to make it. Would you do it for me?" Well, it was the weekend. "Sure, pops. What's the band's name?" My dad grinned. "Akatsuki."

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeh?" I exclaimed. "Akatsuki!?" My dad put down the cup of coffee he was holding. "What, you can't do it?" I shook my head furiously. "I'm just shocked that you've become the manager of such a famous band. I hope they don't overwork you or anything, dad." _This is working just according to plan! Now I can definitely get Sasuke and Itachi to talk to each other! _"So when are they coming exactly?" My dad held up two fingers as he drank some coffee. "Oh. What time?" "Around nine in the morning. All you have to do is bring them straight home. I should be back by then." I nodded. "Okay dad, you can count on me."

X X X

Back in my room, I got a text message from Ino. "MEET US AT THE MALL IN 10 MINUTES. YOU HAVE TO." I sighed. There was no turning back. I quickly showered and changed into my clothes and ran to the mall. Ino and the gang were waiting outside. As soon as they saw me they ran over and bombarded me with questions. "Where were you yesterday?" "What's with all the bruises?" "How'd everything go with Sasuke?"

"Guys, calm down! I can't answer all your questions at once!" I laughed. "Did someone bully you?" Ino asked skeptically. "I can tell by your bruises." The others nodded. "When you didn't come to the meeting spot after the library closed, we knew something was up. We even saw Sasuke storm out angrily." Tenten added. "Who was it?" Temari threw in. I guess I had no choice but to tell them. "Karin." All of them gasped as I told them what exactly happened.

"That bitch!" Ino yelled. "Those rumors about her being overly possessive were true! LET'S CLOBBBER HER!" Ino yelled so loudly that people actually turned to see what was going on. "L-l-lower y-y-your voice Ino." Hinata soothed. She turned to me. "H-h-h-how did you get home, Sakura?" "Yeah, I want to know too. Did _someone_ rescue you?" Temari asked, raising her eyebrows. They were looking at me so expectantly that I had to tell them what happened last night.

"Oh my gosh!" Ino shrieked. "He kissed you!" More heads turned over. "Shhh Ino!" I replied, face turning red. "Let's not announce to the whole world." "But he kissed you!" She started jumping up and down. "I knew he had a thing for you since he asked you to tutor him and all. Way to go, girl!" She slapped me on the back. "And what about this Akatsuki band? What's the plan?" Before I could answer, Tenten cut in. "Let's go and sit somewhere inside. It's getting kind of hot out here." We all nodded in agreement and went in.

X X X

"So spill," Temari said once we settled down in a coffee shop. "What's the big plan?" I took out a napkin and a pen and started scribbling. "So the band comes in two days, right? Well, my plan is to get Sasuke and Itachi together so they can talk." "And how are you going to do that?" Tenten asked. "I have no idea." I replied. "But I'll do it somehow. "Hmm…" Temari thought out loud. "Where did you say that they were going to perform?" "In the library." I replied. "Eh? Why the library?" Ino asked, raising an eyebrow. "I-I-It's the only soundproof place in the school. I-i-ideal for a h-h-h-heavy metal band in a studious area." Hinata answered. "Smaaaaart." Ino said.

"Guys, I think I have a plan!" Temari exclaimed. She snatched my napkin and started explaining. "You know," I said when she was done, "This actually might work!" Temari beamed. "O ho ho, so hanging around Shikamaru all the time has finally rubbed off on you, eh?" Ino cackled. Temari turned red and yelled, "Hey! He is not rubbing off on me! And I don't hang around him all the time!" "Then why's your face cherry red?" I asked. We all started laughing.

X X X

Two days later, I was standing in Konoha Airport waiting to pick up a bunch of funky guys. "Hey! Sakura!" I turned and saw all my friends running up to me. "Guys? What are you doing here?" I asked, shocked. "We couldn't let you pick them up all by yourself," Ino retorted, putting her hands on her hips. "They might try something funny." I rolled my eyes. "You looked them up last night and found some of them hot, didn't you?" She blushed and started laughing. "How did you ever find out?" "I-i-i-is that them?" Hinata asked.

We all turned around and saw a group of ten people walking out of the immigration area. They were all wearing black cloaks with red clouds scattered on them. "Akatsuki." I muttered. "Whoa! They are hot!" Tenten exclaimed. "How do they know that you're the one picking them up?" "Oh!" I exclaimed. I searched through my knapsack and pulled out a piece of paper. It had a drawing of a red cloud on it. "That has to be the worst drawn cloud I've ever seen." Ino said. "Shut up! My dad drew it, okay!" I replied.

"I guess this is us, eh Kakuzu?" A white-haired guy drawled, stopping at us. "And he sent a bunch of chicks to pick us up." "Hmmm, oh." The guy called Kakuzu replied. His face was half-concealed, kind of like Kakashi-sensei's. Damn, these guys were intimidating. The rest of them gathered. "Akatsuki?" I asked, in a somewhat high-pitched voice. "That's us," a woman said, pushing through her band members. She was beautiful. "You must be Sakura-chan. Your father told me all the details." I smiled. "I am to take you home."

I looked at all the band members and recognized Itachi immediately. He looked so much like Sasuke. He noticed me and smiled. "Um, Sakura." Ino whispered. "Right! Come this way!" I led them out of the airport and towards a van. "We have to go in that thing?" A blond haired member sneered. "Well there are ten of you and four of us." Tenten replied. "Umh…" the blond-haired guy replied.

X X X

There was complete silence in the van as I drove to my house. It was so… awkward. "I was wondering," Tenten asked. "How are there ten people in a heavy metal band?" Then they all started talking. A man with a lollipop-like mask on his face chuckled and said, "It's simple. We're famous because of our unique formation. We have two drummers, Sasori and Deidara." He pointed to a red-head and the blond from before. "Four guitarists: Itachi, Kisame, Hidan, and Kakuzu." He gestured towards them. Kisame gave me the impression of a shark. "Zetsu plays the flute." He gestured towards a weird looking guy. "Konan plays the piano and Pain and I sing." He gestured towards a dude with a hell of a lot of piercings.

"No wonder you're famous." Temari exclaimed. "You guys have such a unique formation. Anyone would be curious enough to listen to a band with four guitarists, two drummers, two singers, a flutist, and a pianist." She took a breath. "That was a mouthful." The back of the van erupted with laughter. "You know," Hidan said. "I kind of like you kids. You're not at all like those irritating fan girls, though I must admit, they do make things somewhat interesting." "You guys have fan girls?" Ino asked. "Cool! You must get lots of chocolate on Valentines Day!" "No one gets nearly as much as Itachi." Kisame said, elbowing Itachi. "Really? What do you do with all of it?" I asked, chuckling. Akatsuki exchanged glances with each other. "We split the loot and eat it all." More laughter.

"We haven't heard anything from this one," Sasori said, pointing at Hinata. I glanced at her in the rearview mirror. She turned redder and shrunk into her hoodie. "You're a shy one, aren't you," Konan chuckled giving Hinata a pat on the back. "It's understandable, I mean these guys are a bunch of weirdoes." Pain said. "And what are you, Pain?" Zetsu asked. "An even weirder weirdo!" Kisame said. They all laughed again. Wow, these guys really were a cheery lot.

X X X

At home, I led Akatsuki to the living room, where they had an hour-long chat with my dad. "These guys are like a bunch of friendly older brothers," Temari said. "I like them!" I nodded in agreement. "I had no idea they'd be this easy to chat with." I said. "That reminds me. You should single Itachi out and tell him about Sasuke and the plan." "What if he doesn't want to meet Sasuke?" Tenten asked. I touched her shoulder. "He does. I have a hunch he misses Sasuke." I said. "S-S-S-Sakura-chan, they're coming out. H-h-here's your chance."

"Ganbatte!" Ino yelled, pushing me forward. And I flew straight into Itachi. "Hmm?" He said, turning. "Oh, it's you." He put me on my feet and said, "Be careful." And started to walk off. "Wait! Itachi-san!" I called. He stopped and turned around. "Yes, Sakura-san?" I wondered how I could explain everything to him without being so rash. I opened my mouth and "How would you feel about talking to Sasuke-kun?" Came out.

**Author's Note**

**And that's Chapter 6 folks! It took forever to come up with a band formation for the Akatsuki. But if there really was a heavy metal band with two drummers, I'd love to listen to it! :D Please review if you can! See you in the next chapter!**

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**


	7. Chapter 7

**Just My Luck Chapter 7**

"Ganbatte!" Ino yelled, pushing me forward. And I flew straight into Itachi. "Hmm?" He said, turning. "Oh, it's you." He put me on my feet and said, "Be careful." And started to walk off. "Wait! Itachi-san!" I called. He stopped and turned around. "Yes, Sakura-san?" I wondered how I could explain everything to him without being so rash. I opened my mouth and "How would you feel about talking to Sasuke-kun?" Came out.

"Eh?" he asked. "What did you say?" "Dammit! He didn't hear!" Inner Sakura screamed inside me. "H-h-h-h-how would you f-feel about t-t-talking to S-S-S-Sasuke-kun?" Itachi inched closer. "One more time?" He said, cupping a hand around his ear. "HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT TALKING TO SASUKE?" I yelled.

Itachi froze. Then his face turned dark. "You know my little brother?" he asked. I nodded. "My brother…" Itachi muttered. "Come with me," I said, grabbing his arm. "Let's go somewhere we can talk in private." And I led him to my room. "Sakura, what are you doing? Leading a grown man you've barely known for two hours to your room? You're not a kid either!" Inner Sakura yelled. _Shut up. _

"So do you want to talk to him?" I asked, slamming the door shut. "Because you two seriously need to talk." Itachi sank on my bed. "Sasuke," he whispered. "I don't think he would want to talk to me." I pulled up a chair and said, "I know, that's why I have a plan." For a second, Itachi looked hopeful, but it faded away quickly. "But after what I did to him…" He started thinking, lost in his own world.

"He listens to heavy metal." I said, suddenly. "He said that it's the kind of music where people voice their feelings." Itachi looked up. "He wants nothing more than to get out of your shadow and be recognized for who he is. Heck, he even asked a klutz like me to show him how to get a spark in his eyes."

"I told him those things. You see, I loved heavy metal music and really wanted to play in a band, but my father was against it. He told me that I had to take over the family business and focus my attention on learning those skills. My friends and I, we had to practice in secret and we got the chance to do a lot of gigs. _A lot_ of gigs. But my father found out about it and broke my guitar." Itachi's voice started quivering. Must have been some horrible memories. "That's when I decided to run away from home. I wanted to do something that made me feel alive than be forced to do something that made me wither inside. I _had_ to leave."

He smiled, a ghost of a smile. "And that's how I hurt Sasuke. That boy clung to me like anything. He idolized me and called me the best nii-chan in the world. I taught him how to play the guitar and everything. But he always lived in my shadow, I guess. As my father put it, I was born a genius. I was good at everything. Sasuke, well he had to work a little harder. But my father couldn't see that. He couldn't see that Sasuke and I were two different people.

"But Sasuke tolerated it because he knew that I would always be there for him. But I wasn't. I abandoned him. And the night I left I told him that needed to grow up and get a fire in his eyes. I told him to stop depending on me all the time because all this time I was just waiting for the day to leave. I told him that unless he got that fire, he could never surpass me."

For a second, I thought I saw a tear fall down Itachi's face, but when I blinked there was nothing. Must have imagined it. "That's why you have to talk to him," I soothed. "Sasuke asked me to help him get that fire in his eyes, he was so angry that he couldn't step out of your shadow. He tore a lot of books." I walked up to Itachi and sat next to him. "Only you can convince him," I said. "Will you talk to him?" Itachi looked me in the eye and nodded. "Yes."

X X X

"Great, we have Itachi in on the plan, now all we need is Sasuke." Ino said. We were all sitting in the same coffee shop we hatched the plan in. "Okay, so their first show is tomorrow, when we all have school. That means Sasuke will be there and Sakura has to tutor him." Temari reasoned. "So you have to carry it out, Sakura. It won't work with anyone else." I sighed. "I just hope it works." Tenten slammed the table. "Of course it will! Temari, who was influenced by Shikamaru, wrote it out. It can't fail!" She looked up. "Hey, isn't that Sasuke?" We all turned immediately turned around.

Sure enough, Sasuke was walking by the coffee shop. "Whoa he's with the whole gang!" Ino yelled. "I mean, there's Naruto, Sai, Kiba, Shino, Neji, Choji, Shikamaru—speak of the devil—and Lee." "Don't look to the right, don't look to the right, don't look to the right, and don't look to the right." Tenten pleaded. Thankfully, they all walked past without looking into the shop. "Phew!" We all said together. "Hey guys, want to get some coffee?" Choji asked, walking back to the shop. "Sure," they all said.

"Shit!" Hinata whispered. She was so freaked out that she forgot to stutter. One by one the guys piled in. Without thinking, all of us grabbed menu cards and buried our faces in them. "What do we do now?" I asked. "We can't discuss the plan with them in here!" With the corner of my eye, I saw the guys settle down two tables away from us. "And they're so damn close too," Temari muttered. "We could pretend we haven't noticed them and just walk out." Hinata suggested, still freaked out. "One of them would still call out to us." Ino said, pissed. We all sat in silence, thinking about what to do.

"Hey! It's the girls!" Kiba yelled, pointing at us. All the others whipped their heads around and looked at us. We all muttered profane words simultaneously. "Hide the napkins!" Tenten hissed as he and Naruto made their way over. "Hi Hinata-chan!" Naruto bubbled. "Sorry about hitting your face the other day. How's your nose?" Hinata's face turned cherry red. "I-I-I-It's m-m-m-much better Naruto-kun!"

Ino looked at her watch. "Look at the time! Sakura, your mom is going to start cooking without us if we all don't get back in ten minutes!" I looked at her confused. "Wha-" I almost asked, but her wide eyes made me catch on. "Oh yeah. We can't let her start before us. Right girls?" They all nodded quickly. We all got up. "It was nice chatting with you guys. See you in school tomorrow! Bye!" Tenten yelled and we all ran out before they could day anything else.

X X X

"Aw man, I was really looking forward to shopping." Ino muttered. "Well we had no choice but to come back here." I replied. "They could have seen us in the mall again and then things would get weird." We all sighed. "I'm so bored!" Tenten yelled.

Suddenly, the door opened. "Did I hear someone say they were bored?" Hidan asked. "You guys are still here?" Temari asked. "Duh. We're crashing out in this place for a couple of days. You could call it our HQ." Jeez, mom was going to go nuts with 10 extra people to take care of. "Anyways, we heard you guys say you were bored, so we decided to let you join our ritual." We looked at him for a second and started laughing. "A ritual?" Ino asked, tears in her eyes. "Are you guys part of the occult or something?" Hidan sighed. "I wish we all were, but no. It's just Pictionary. You all wanna play?" "Hell yeah!" Tenten shrieked.

We ran downstairs and saw Akatsuki gathered around a board. "Hi girls!" Konan grinned. "So this is how it works. We'll divide ourselves into three teams. Deidara, Hinata, Nagato –I mean Pain–, Kakuzu, and I will be on one team. Ino, Temari, Kisame, Zetsu, and Hidan will be on the second team. And the last team will have Itachi, Sakura, Tenten, Tobi, and Sasori. Let's play!"

Even though Pictionary was a kid's game, it was fun. Especially with the Akatsuki. Deidara got extremely serious and told almost everyone that their drawings were a disgrace to art. "What did you say, teme?" Hidan yelled. "We'll see who's laughing when I win the game! Whose turn is it to draw?" "M-m-mine." Hinata replied meekly. She rolled the dice and moved her team's marker up 6 places. "Woo hoo Hinata!" Deidara yelled. "Now we're ahead of Hidan's team!" He stuck his tongue out. "Pick a card! We get green!" Hinata pulled out a card and her face turned red. "What is it?" Pain asked. He, along with the rest of Hinata's team peered at the card and their faces, except for Kakuzu who was expressionless, turned red too. "Good luck drawing that," he said patting her determinedly picked up a pencil and the pad and drew two curved lines. "A mountain range!" Hidan called.

There was a knock on the door. My mom peered in. "Sakura, there's a phone call for you." "Oh," I said, getting up. "Carry on guys." I went out of the room and took the phone. "Hello?" I said. "Sakura?" I heard Sasuke's voice say. "Sasuke-kun? What's up?" I was barely able to contain my surprise. "Nothing much. I saw you in the mall today with your friends. We were wondering why you all suddenly dashed out. By the way, you left a napkin behind that had library before show written on it." I nearly screamed a long string of swears. "Oh that. We were playing a game." I laughed nervously.

"Anyways, are you free?" he asked. "Yeah…" I said, watching the others play. "DEIDARA YOU CHEAT!" Hidan suddenly screamed. "What was that?" Sasuke asked. "Oh, there's an intense game of Pictionary going on." I said. Sasuke chuckled. "An intense Pictionary? You never fail to surprise me, Haruno Sakura." I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks. "Open the front door." He said. "Why? Are you outside?" I asked, running to the window by the door. "Maybe, maybe not." He replied. I could almost visualize him smirking.

I undid the lock on the door and saw Sasuke standing there with his cellphone to his ear. "Sasuke! What are you doing here?" I was both happy and scared at the same time. Sasuke was standing on my doorstep but his brother was in the room next door. "Hi Sakura. I wanted to see you." He said. My heart started pounding. "Are you free?" he asked. "Hey Sakura, it's your turn." Itachi said, walking up to the front door. Sasuke's eyes widened with shock. "Itachi." He seethed, then he looked straight at me. Just my luck.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**Hi! I finally got Chapter 7 up! And I only have a few more days of Winter Break left. D: Better make the most of it while I can… See you in the next chapter! :D **

**-Enemyfield**

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto **


	8. Chapter 8

**Just My Luck Chapter 8**

I undid the lock on the door and saw Sasuke standing there with his cellphone to his ear. "Sasuke! What are you doing here?" I was both happy and scared at the same time. Sasuke was standing on my doorstep but his brother was in the room next door. "Hi Sakura. I wanted to see you." He said. My heart started pounding. "Are you free?" he asked. "Hey Sakura, it's your turn." Itachi said, walking up to the front door. Sasuke's eyes widened with shock. "Itachi." He seethed, then he looked straight at me. Just my luck.

"What is _he_ doing in _your_ house?" Sasuke asked calmly. His razor-sharp words cut into my skin. "Sasuke-kun–" I began, but he cut me off. "Why are you hanging around that traitor?" He glared at Itachi. "I haven't forgotten what you did to us. I had to go through hell because of you." Itachi's eyes filled with sorrow and concern. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, Sasuke punched him in the stomach. "DON'T SAY ANYTHING!" Sasuke turned his glare back to me. Pain, rage, and disgust swam around in the onyx depths. Then Sasuke began to walk away.

I was rooted to my spot. I wanted to run after him and tell him everything, but I couldn't move. Itachi gave me a nudge. "Go," he whispered. That was all I needed. I ran out of my backyard and saw Sasuke a couple of paces ahead. "Sasuke-kun!" I yelled. He showed no signs of stopping. "SASUKE-KUN!" I ran up to him and touched his arm. "Sasuke-ku–" "DON'T TOUCH ME!" He pulled his arm away. "I trusted you, Sakura. I trusted you to the point where I–" he stopped. "I never thought that you of all people would consort with my brother." He turned around and looked at me. "From now on, I don't know you." Then he walked away. Hot tears streamed down my face and fell on the gravel below. So this is what it felt like to be despised by someone you loved. It hurt.

X X X

"Here." Ino said, handing me another box of tissues. "Just let it all out." I grabbed a bunch of tissues. "I wanted to help him, but I scarred him instead." I sniffed. "I just wanted him to be happy." At this, tears started trickling down Hinata's eyes. "Sakura, you did nothing wrong," she said between sniffles. "Don't think for one second that this is all your fault." Then she started bawling. I wiped my tears away and handed her the box. "Here Hinata." I said. "Thank you for being a good friend." She started crying even more. Seeing her cry made me cry more, and it made the others cry too. "I don't feel like going to the university tomorrow. I can't bear to face him." I whispered. "I broke his trust."

Suddenly the door slammed open and all the Akatsuki members piled into my room. There we were, five crying girls and a famous heavy metal band, all in one room. "Snap out of it!" Zetsu yelled, shaking Tenten, who happened to be the nearest to him. "You guys can't just mope around!" This shocked us. Zetsu barely ever spoke, and here he was yelling at us. "He's right." Konan said, stepping in. "Itachi told us everything." Itachi sat on the bed, between Hinata and me. "Sasuke is blinded by hatred. He can only see what he wants to see, and that becomes reality for him. You, Sakura, are the only thing that can get rid of that hatred." I sniffed and looked up at Itachi. "I broke his trust," I whispered. "I'm dead to him." Kakuzu said, "This is why I hate kids. No perseverance, no determination." "You have to keep pushing in." Tobi said. "WHY?" I yelled. "WHAT GOOD WILL THAT DO?" Pain and Sasori sighed and sang simultaneously, "Because you're his friend!" "Real friends are willing to intrude." Itachi said, patting me on the head.

"I realized that they were right. I couldn't just sit around and mope like this. I had to finish what I started, because I realized that I loved Sasuke too much to let him go like that–" _Shut up, Inner Sakura! Stop trying to turn my life into a shitty soap opera. _"So what are you going to do?" Hidan asked. Everyone looked at me expectantly. I smiled. "I'm going to finish what I started."

"WOOHOO!" Deidara yelled. "Now that's what I call artistic!" "We have the passion, now we need the plan." Temari said. "How are you going to get Sasuke to talk to Itachi?" I looked up at her and smiled. "We use force."

X X X

"Wake up dearie. Wake up! Wake uuuuup! WAKE UP! WAKE THE F*** UP!" The alarm screamed. I woke up with a start. Ino, Temari, Tenten, and Hinata began to stir around me. "Why did I get you such a bitchy alarm clock?" Ino muttered, rubbing her eyes. "You got us the same ones." Temari muttered, throwing a pillow at her. I looked at the clock. 7:55am. "HOLY! YOU GUYS, WE ONLY HAVE 20 MINUTES!" "Already?" Tenten screamed. "Shit!"

X X X

Classes flew by extremely fast. At the end of the day, I ran into my friends in the hall. "I spoke to Shikamaru." Temari huffed. "He had the last class with Sasuke and he's agreed to stall Sasuke until you get to the Literature Analysis room. You'd better hurry." She didn't need to finish her sentence. I was already on my way. I jumped, I dodged, I ducked, and I tripped. Heck, on the way, I nearly banged into someone who banged into Karin in the process and knocked her out cold. "Sweet revenge." Inner Sakura sang.

But I got there. Shikamaru spotted me at the door and said, "Well see ya, Sasuke." As he walked out, he said, "Be careful, he's kind of pissed." I nodded. "Thank you, Shikamaru-kun." He nodded. "It's only because of that troublesome woman." Then he left. I looked inside. Sasuke was hastily cramming stuff inside his bag. He did look pissed.

All of a sudden, he turned around and he saw me. I felt a chill run down my spine. He put on his bag and stormed down the stairs. As he was about to leave, I grabbed his arm. "Wait, Sasuke-kun." I said. He wrenched his wrist away. "I have nothing more to say to you." He continued walking. I clenched my fists. "Itachi wants to talk to you. If you just give him a chance–" Before I could finish, Sasuke whipped around and banged me against a wall. "Don't mention him ever again. He abandoned me and left me in his shadows." I looked Sasuke in the eye. Though his cold stare frightened me, I asked, "Did you ever stop to ask yourself why, Sasuke?" For a second, the cold stare was replaced by confusion. Like a child wondering how to count. But it vanished and the cold stare came back. Sasuke roughly cupped my cheeks with his hand and lifted my head up. "You broke my trust." "Talk to him." I whispered. "Listen to what he has to say." Sasuke shook his head. He let go of me and began to walk out.

"Sasuke," I said. "Forgive me." Then I punched the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

X X X

"I can't believe you actually managed to do it!" Ino squealed. I dragged Sasuke all the way to the library without anyone noticing. Ino and Itachi helped me carry him to one of the private rooms. Itachi laid him on a couch. "Now you just have to wait for him to regain consciousness." I said. "Are you nervous?" Itachi shook his head. "I've wanted to talk to him for a long time. Thank you Sakura, for helping me." I smiled. "Ganbatte, Itachi-san." Then Ino and I left.


	9. Chapter 9

**Just My Luck Chapter 9**

ITACHI'S POINT OF VIEW

After Sakura and Ino left, my cool composure broke. Of course I was nervous! I was alone with a kid who wanted to beat the crap out of me! I was terrified. Nevertheless I sat down and waited for Sasuke to wake up.

X X X

"_Nii-chan will you teach me how to play the guitar?" Sasuke asked, staring at me with his huge innocent eyes. How could I refuse? "Sure, Sasuke." "Yay!" Sasuke trotted to the table and pulled up a stool next to me. I gave him the guitar and put one of his chubby hands on the bridge and another on the trunk. "This is how you hold a guitar." I said. "It's so complicated, nii-chan!" Sasuke whined, his hands falling off the guitar. "How can anyone hold it?" I started laughing. "Your nii-chan is with you, no? So how can you fail?" Sasuke grinned. "That's right! Because nii-chan will be with me forever!" _

X X X

"Forever." I whispered. The one thing I could not do as an older brother. Sasuke started stirring on the couch. Then he steadily opened his eyes, muttering, "That Sakura…" Then he saw me. "Er…Hi Sasuke," I said, uncertain of what else to do. "Hi? Hi? Is that all you have to say to me after what you did?" Sasuke snarled. He got up and walked over to me. "HI he says, as if nothing happened!" He clenched his fist and lunged forward. Before he could land a blow, I grabbed his wrist. "

"Would you just listen to what I have to say?" I asked. "Listen to me. When I'm done, I'll leave it to you to decide whether you want to forgive me. If not, then you can have my head. Please, Sasuke." Sasuke pulled his hand away from me. "This'd better be worth my time." He muttered. He walked back to the couch and sat down. "I'm listening." He barked.

I swallowed and began. "Sasuke, when you were a small child, I was at the age where people kept telling me that I was going to take over my father's business. They called me a genius. But I wasn't. In front of everyone else, I may have seemed like a smart, all-rounded person, a perfect heir, but when I was alone, I was a wreck." Sasuke threw out a fake laugh. "Yeah right. You were good at everything. So good, in fact, that otou-sama expected the same from me. I got nothing but bitter disappointment from him." I shook my head. "Sasuke, you did brilliantly. Otou-sama was just blinded by reputation." Sasuke sneered. "Continue."

"When I was alone, I was a complete wreck. I would break down and cry because I hated it all. I hated our family's tile, I hated our family's business, and I hated the fact that everyone called me a genius. Sasuke, I only got good grades because it made otou-sama happy. Though no one saw me, I had a lot of trouble with math and science. Damn that science." I looked at Sasuke, but his expression was still the same. Hateful, cold.

"I guess I should go further back. Before you were born. When I was four, I failed in everything we did in my class, even though it was just Pre-K. I did so badly, that I had to repeat the grade." At this, even Sasuke's eyes widened. "Impossible. You were always the youngest kid in your grade. How could you have failed? I don't believe you."

"Fine, don't. But otou-sama did not take it very well, especially since it brought down his reputation. The heir to Uchiha Enterprises has to repeat a grade. The new heir is a failure. Though otou-sama did not say anything to me, I knew it all. The weight of a multi-billion ryo company rested on my shoulders. And I was only four." "So what did you do?" "Father hired the finest tutors to teach me, and they crammed all sorts of knowledge into my head. I went to school in the morning, came back in the evening only to have another schooling session." I chuckled, a sad little chuckle. "I had no life besides learning. And I hated it. I felt so dead. Sometimes, I wondered if I actually existed, if I actually had a beating heart inside of me."

"But that doesn't explain why you abandoned me." Sasuke cut in. "Silence! I'm getting to that. Just listen, okay?" Sasuke shrugged. "I studied so hard, that I was bumped up three grades. So now I was two grades higher up than I was supposed to be. It was intimidating, okay. No one wanted to talk to the nerd kid who kept to his books. I felt miserable and I just wanted to weep. But one day, I met a way older guy who called himself Pain. He was playing a guitar. He noticed me and asked me if I wanted to give it a try." I smiled. "I had never knew learning could be so much fun. Pain and his friends, who became my friends, taught me everything about the guitar. And I loved it."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. I could see that this was getting nowhere. "But otou-sama hated it. He told me that I was a major factor in influencing you, and if I kept to my books, then you would too. He wanted to turn you into a miserable little bookworm. But I couldn't let you go through the same thing as me, so I kept to my guitar and even taught you how to play it. I tolerated it all. One day, however, otou-sama did something I can never forgive. He broke my guitar. After all the years I spent studying for his sake, tolerating his yelling, I had enough. I had to leave. My friends and I, we formed a band called Akatsuki and we were becoming quite famous, but you knew this. I loved playing in a band and I couldn't stay in the torture chamber I called home. I could not. So I left."

"You abandoned me." Sasuke muttered. "I went through hell because of you! You put all that weight on my shoulders!" His voice was becoming steadily louder. "YOU LEFT ME ALL ALONE!" I looked at my feet. He was right. I abandoned my brother. "Sasuke, I know that I left you and I said those awful things to you, but I wanted you to become tough and stand on your own two feet. I didn't want you to become some nerd like me. I loved you too much for that to happen. I still do." I looked up. "Sasuke, you are much stronger than I ever was. And there's a fire in your eyes that wasn't there in me for the longest time. A fire that I thought you never had, but it was burning in you brightly all this time. Sasuke, you will make a fine heir and you will make otou-sama proud. Never let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do, not even me." I marched up to Sasuke and poked his forehead with two fingers. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there with you forever." A tear slid down my cheek. "

"How embarrassing for a grown man to cry." Sasuke muttered. I looked up at him and saw that tears were streaming down his cheeks too. He was after all, my little brother. "Do you forgive me Sasuke?" I asked. He looked up at me. "I can't, Itachi. I just can't." I stood up straight. "Well I'm sorry I couldn't make you feel better." I whispered.

There was a knock on the door. Pain peeped in. "Itachi, we're on in two minutes." I nodded. Before I left, I said, "Sasuke, don't lose Sakura. She's a wonderful woman and you know that." I shut the door, leaving Sasuke sitting on the couch by himself.

X X X

SASUKE'S POINT OF VIEW

After Itachi left, I sat in silence. He told me a lot of things about himself that I didn't know before. I didn't know Itachi failed Pre-K. I didn't know that everyone else saw him as a nerd. I didn't know he was so miserable. "Damn you, Itachi." I muttered.

Suddenly, I heard music. Right, Itachi's stupid band had their concert in the library. The music grew louder, faster, and cheers erupted. "Okay, everyone." I heard a man say. "You guys ready to rock?" "YEEEAAAAAH!" The audience screamed. "NOOO!" I whispered, mimicking their tone. Like hell I was going to listen to Itachi's band.

The band started playing a soft song. I tried to block it out, but the words entered my ears anyways.

_A glass heart_

_Shattered into shards_

_A child abandoned_

_By his very own guard_

_Little child_

_Your angel is here_

_So while you have sweet dreams_

_I shall wipe away your tears_

_Good night_

_Always remember_

_For you I shall fight_

_Forever_

Dammit. This song, Itachi used to sing it to me when I was a child.

X X X

"_I am very disappointed in you, Sasuke." Otou-sama said. "Itachi did much better when he was your age." I looked up at him. "But Otou-sama, I got the highest score in my grade–" "Do not speak back to me, child. Now off you go, before I get even more upset." I lowered my gaze and got up slowly. "Gomenasai, Otou-sama," I whispered, walking out the door. Big, hot tears streamed down my face. I dropped my report card and ran to Itachi's room. I slammed open the door and ran to him. "Sasuke," he said. Noticing my tears, he wrapped me in a warm embrace. "Otou-sama said I was a disappointment." I said, between sniffs. "He didn't care at all that I got the highest score in my class." Itachi stroked my head. "Sasuke, your own approval is all that matters. Don't forget that." Then he started singing. _

Little child

Your angel is here

So while you have sweet dreams

I shall wipe away your tears

Good night

Always remember

For you I shall fight

Forever

_Before I knew it, I was fast asleep. _

X X X

More tears started streaming down my face. Damn Itachi, making me cry twice in just a few minutes. I wiped my tears and kicked the couch. "DAMN YOU, ITACHI!" I yelled, only to be drowned out by the music. "Damn you." Before I knew it, I had already forgiven my brother. I realized that I had forgiven him a long time ago, but my pride refused to let me say it. No matter what, he'd always be my nii-chan. "Damn you, Itachi. You've always had a way with me."


	10. Chapter 10

**Just My Luck Chapter 10**

BACK TO SAKURA'S POINT OF VIEW

Pain walked out the door, followed by Itachi. He looked at all of us and shook his head. "REALLY?" Hidan yelled. "REALLY? That teme, let me show him who's boss." He started storming forward but Konan held him back. "We have a performance in 2 minutes." She chided. She turned to Itachi. "You remember that song you wrote back in high school?" He looked shocked but nodded. "We're going to play that first." Everyone said, "Eeeeeh?" Simultaneously. Tobi stood up. "But that will totally mess up the schedule!" Konan looked at everyone and smiled. "But it will be worth it."

X X X

When it was time, the Akatsuki took their places. I looked around. The library was jam-packed. Someone nearby said, "These guys are supposed to have a totally unique sound. I'm so excited to hear it!" I looked back at the private room where Sasuke was. Suddenly, something pulled at my heart. How quickly I had lost his trust. I remembered the pain in his eyes when he saw Itachi with me.

Akatsuki started playing. Kisame laid down a really heavy riff and everyone else picked up from that. Their sound _was_ original. It sounded simple and complex, wistful and angry at the same time. It was heavy metal, all right, but even people who didn't like heavy metal would have loved their style. Then it slowed down and to my surprise, Itachi walked up to the microphone and started singing. The crowd went wild. Some fangirls screamed, "ITAAAAACHI!"

His words were beautiful, enough said. They flew out of his mouth and landed straight in people's hearts. That's how touching they were. I wondered whether Sasuke was listening and what he was thinking. Suddenly, the door slammed open and Sasuke ran out. He pushed through the crowd, right past me and went up to the stage. As he pushed past, I thought I saw something glint in his eyes. _The fire._ I thought. Everyone gasped as Sasuke climbed the stage. Itachi stopped singing out of surprise. "Sasuke," he mouthed. Sasuke started at him for a second then punched him in the stomach. Some fangirls screamed in horror. But to everyone's surprise, he then hugged Itachi. The rest of the Akatsuki, still playing, started smiling. Konan even shed a tear. Itachi's shocked face turned soft and he hugged Sasuke back. Everyone started cheering. I guess they made the connection.

"CLICHÉS DO EXIST!" I heard Naruto scream. But he was cheering just as loudly as everyone else. Suddenly my friends surrounded me. "They did it!" Ino yelled over the music. "They mended their bond!" We all looked up to the stage. Itachi whispered something in Sasuke's ear and pat him on the back. Then Sasuke got off stage so Itachi could finish the song.

The rest of the concert went beautifully after that.

X X X

"That was an amazing concert!" Tenten exclaimed, patting all the Akatsuki on the back. The concert ended a while back and the library was empty except for the Akatuski and my friends. Deidara sighed and sank on a couch. "I'm so glad it all worked out. I don't know how Itachi would affect us all the next few days." Hidan slapped him on the back and sank down next to him. "I'm so glad it's over! I'm dead tired!" Everyone started chattering. I looked around and walked out of the library.

I walked up the nearest staircase. I had no idea where I was going, only that I needed to be alone for a while. A _long _while. Eventually, I reached the roof. I walked to a ledge and sat down. Then I started crying, bawling in fact. I sounded like a child, but the tears would not stop. They just kept coming out. On one side, I was so happy that Itachi and Sasuke got back together, but on the other, I wondered whether Sasuke would ever forgive me. I hoped crying would get it all out of me.

Out of nowhere, two arms wrapped themselves around me. I gasped and turned around. It was Sasuke. "S-Sasuke-kun!" I croaked between tears. I started trembling and crying even more. "I-I-I'm sor-" "Don't say anything." Sasuke murmured. "You didn't do anything wrong. I was blinded by anger and I overreacted." He started chuckling. "Like a totally clichéd movie." There was silence for a while.

I could feel my face turn red. It just hit me that Sasuke was hugging me. Hugging me! "You know," Sasuke began, interrupting my thoughts. "The real reason I wanted you to tutor me was not because you had that fire in your eyes. I just wanted to be with you. The whole of last year, I was wondering how I could talk to you, but my personality wouldn't let me. I guess I was kind of scared of rejection. But that day you fell on the road, I was happy, happy that I got the chance to talk to you. And in Business class when you agreed to tutor me… Thank you for the fire…" he trailed off. I turned around and looked at his face. It was turning red. "Sakura, I love you." His face turned redder and so did mine.

I was frankly stunned. I didn't know what to say. "I don't expect you to return my feelings." He said, downcast. "I know I have scary mood swings and I was a jerk to you. I know I caused you a lot of pain even though you were just trying to help me. But I had to let you know." I started trembling again, but it was because I was happy. The tears started gushing out now. Just my luck "Sasuke, you idiot!" I yelled and kissed him. "I love you too."

We stayed on the roof holding each other for goodness knows how long. But after some time, Sasuke let go and said, "Let's go back down." He took my hand and together we made our way back to the library. Everyone was siting inside paying charades. They turned around as we entered and their eyes went directly to our hands. "Oi Itachi! Your brother scored!" Deidara yelled. They all started laughing, except for Ino, Hinata, Tenten, and Temari who yelled, "WOOHOO!"

Itachi walked up and gave both of us a hug. "I'm so happy for you, Sakura. Please take care of my brother." I smiled and nodded. "What are you going to do now?" Sasuke asked him. Itachi shrugged. "I figured I'd go visit kaa-chan and otou-sama. Maybe explain myself a bit." He grinned. "It's time otou-sama and I had a talk, after all." Sasuke smiled and held my hand tighter. "It sure is."

THE END

**Author's Note**

**So that's Just My Luck finished! I'm sorry this last chapter was a week late, though. I had school this week and boy was it tiring! :P Well, I hope you enjoyed it! **

**-Enemyfield**

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto **


End file.
